European Tour golfers treated to Safari experience in Nairobi

On the side-lines of the Magical Kenya Open which runs between the 3 and 6 March 2022, destination marketer Kenya Tourism Board took the opportunity to immerse the European Tour players and teams with a safari at the Nairobi National Park.

Zander Lombard, a professional golfer from South Africa termed conducive weather as an added advantage to Kenya's appeal as a golfing destination.

“The weather, scenery, great nature and beautiful landscape is what keeps me coming to Kenya every year,” said Lombard after a two-hour game drive at the park.

On his part, Dutch professional golfer Daan Huizing said: “It is always nice coming to Kenya. The people are very kind, they always welcome us with open arms and the climate is also very good. We are very happy for the opportunity to visit the Nairobi National Park and get to see animals closely. It is definitely on my bucket list to come back to Kenya without golf clubs but to just enjoy the country.”

According to KTB CEO Dr Betty Radier, the Open has continued to be one of the key avenues through which the destination targets millions of golf lovers across the world.

She added that the 2022 competition was more important because it gave an opportunity to showcase the destinations preparedness against Covid-19 as well as giving the many fans an opportunity to enjoy the game after the event was held without spectators in 2021.

“This event continues to play a major role in showcasing Kenya’s destination brand to the world and we are glad to be hosting it yet again this year. It attracts a lot of global attention which presents an opportunity to showcase to the world what we have to offer as a destination."

She added: “We are glad to have invited some of the golfers for a familiarization trip as we try to get them have a taste of Kenya’s tourism, we shall have more of these trips as the tournament progresses.

Our goal is to also convert these players into our ambassadors when they go back to their countries. We want to tell the world that there is much more to Kenya and therefore when visitors come to play a round of golf here, they can also take some time out to visit some attractions like the game parks we have in the country.

As the tournament kicks off, we hope to witness a world-class golfing experience to be enjoyed by the local and international audiences."

The Magical Kenya Open which is part of the elite European Tour (now DP World Tour) is being held at Muthaiga Golf Club.

The 2022 tournament will feature over 150 local and international golfers from over 30 different countries.